Some things that I have tried in the last few weeks that helped are drinking a glass of water before hand, eating veggies or a salad first and avoiding the dangerous areas. For example, if I know that day I couldn't say NO than I don't even look at the dessert if I can help it.

I'm having the same issue. A lot of your suggestions makes sense, but in my case, I can't just avoid certiain sections of the cafeteria for the whole out of sight out of mind thing because they don't separate the foods in any set way so to see what they have to offer, you just have to look everywhere. My school also puts its nutritional info up and while I've been somewhat successful in using it to preplan meals, I often still end up eating more than I intended because they either neglect to put up the menu on certain days, serve things that are not in accordance with what we see online or the portion sizes for the food I decide to eat end up being much smaller than I anticipated, which makes me feel compelled to go get something else. I'm still not sure what to do, but every time I make a mistake, I just try to forget, see how much of it I can counter with exercise, and move on. Hope that helps!

Help Help Help! How do you say no! Lately I have had so much trouble sticking to a plan when there are so many options. I don't even love the cafeteria food that much, but still i find myself overeating. How do you follow through on your committment?

I had the same problem. During the Fall09' semester was the worst for me everyday I got either Curly Fries nacho style or a corn dog a curly fries and the biggest rice crispy ever(no joke). Almost everything in the cafeteria is fried. We don't have anything grilled and If you want a salad its like 6.00 for an unnecessarily large salad probably about 200+ cals which defeats the purpose of getting a salad lol. So, what I do now is with that same money I'd spend at school on food I now save and shop at Trader Joe's you'll be surprised at how yummy some of the snacks they have. I buy a weeks worth of breakfast and lunch and its all health and just as satisfying. Stuff id usually be like "wtf" why would i eat that? I'm eating and enjoying. If your school provides microwaves like mine does this will be perfect for you. You don't have to get one of those tasteless frozen meals you can find something good thats healthy too cuz thats what Trader Joe's is all about you just gotta look around try stuff and find what you like. Cookies too! And I'm on a very TIGHT budget and I can easily afford a weeks worth of food. shop wisely !I got rice milk,whole grain honey cherios,granola bars,lunch meat, microwavable soups,yogurt and more all for about 20+ bucks. Try it ! buy your own quick and easy meals for the week. Figure out what you like.

Yeah. I've been having the same issue. I've been losing weight on and off. Now I'm back to square one and much of the blame goes to my eating habits at school. I think there really is no way out in this situation. You just have to make the healthiest choice while in the cafeteria. I know a friend of mine actually buys salad dressing and lettuce etc at the supermarket and just stores it in her fridge back at the dorm. She just gets ziploc containers and makes the salad herself. She doesn't do this everyday, but it helps every once in a while. Also, I think just counterbalancing what you eat with healthier snacks. Even though the salad sucks its better than the fries and your body will def appreciate it. Hope this helps?

I am having the same problem as everyone else here, except I should have learned from undergrad four years ago! I live on a very small campus with one small cafeteria now that serves terribly fattening foods. They have a salad bar, but it is full of stale or canned, cheap ingredients. I end up eating a bunch of terrible things, and I have no way out! Any suggestions?

I think its interesting. I'll notice that that if I reach out for a salad,most of my friends will also choose something healthy. I think alot of it is influence by others. I think fending off for a few minutes helps. If your friends get the cookie just don't. Tell yourself if I still want this twenty minutes later after I've eaten then I will get it. Most of the time you don't really want it, you just have an urge to eat it because everyone else is doing it. Hope this helps!

the way i deal with junk food in the cafeteria is by just avoiding it all together. i dont even walk by the pizza bar or the bakery. i head straight to the salad bar, which is right at the entrance for me. finally, just tell yourself that you can have that cookie another time, just not today. knowing that there is a time in the future when you can have it should hold off a binge.

I don't know if your cafeteria has this online, but the dining hall at my school has a nutrition section on the internet. I looked up how many calories and grams of fat are in the things I used to eat -- talk about a deterent. I'll NEVER eat that stuff again.

If nothing else, eat your grilled chicken salad and split a cookie with someone else. Just remember what Cookie Monster now says..."Cookies are a somtimes food."

I don't know about you all, but the worst thing for me is walking into the cafeteria. I will tell myself that I will get a grilled chicken salad or something healthy, but as soon as my friends reach for a cookie, I'm right behind them. When I see everyone around me enjoying the fatty foods, I want to as well. Any tips on staying strong when the sight of the food tempts me?

Losing weight and battling PCOS. Today can be a step in the right direction if I choose it to be.

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